This Force Majeure Policy explains what we mean by "force majeure," and the general effect a force majeure event has on obligations under our Terms and Conditions. It expands on Section 33 (Force Majeure) of our Terms.
This policy explains the general legal concept and how it affects obligations broadly — it does not itself create a refund right. Where a force majeure event may entitle you to a refund, the specific exception, its evidence requirements, and our review process are set out in our Cancellation & Refund Policy, not duplicated here.
Ordinary business risks are not force majeure. A staffing shortage, a hotel changing its own plans, a routine system outage, or a guest simply changing their mind about travelling does not qualify, even if inconvenient.
Where a genuine Force Majeure Event prevents an Affected Party from performing an obligation connected to a booking or to use of the platform, that party is not treated as being in breach of these obligations for the failure or delay caused specifically by the event, for as long as the event continues and only to the extent it actually prevents performance.
This applies equally to you, to us, and to a hotel. It does not excuse an unrelated failure, does not apply retroactively to a problem that already existed before the event began, and is not a general basis for avoiding an obligation that could still reasonably be met despite the event.
Force Majeure is one of exactly two narrow exceptions to our platform policy that all bookings made through Book GCC Trip are non-refundable. This policy explains the general concept and its effect on obligations. The specific process for requesting a refund under the Force Majeure exception — including what documentation we require and our review timeline — is set out in full in our Cancellation & Refund Policy, and is not repeated here.
This Force Majeure Policy does not itself create a refund right beyond what the Cancellation & Refund Policy already sets out. If the two documents appear to conflict on the specific refund process, the Cancellation & Refund Policy controls for that point, consistent with how our Terms and Conditions describe more specific policies taking precedence on the point they address in detail.
If a hotel cancels or is unable to honour a confirmed booking because of a genuine Force Majeure Event, that cancellation is handled as a hotel-initiated cancellation, separately from the general Force Majeure refund exception described above — see our Cancellation & Refund Policy for how a hotel-initiated cancellation is treated.
If a Force Majeure Event affects the Book GCC Trip platform generally — for example, preventing us from operating normally, processing bookings, or providing support for a period — we will make reasonable efforts to notify affected users, using the channels reasonably available to us at the time (such as a notice on the platform, an email, or another practical means), and to resume normal operation as soon as the event allows.
Force majeure applies narrowly: only to the specific obligation the event actually prevented, and only for as long as it prevents it. It is not a general basis for either party to avoid a refund, cancellation, or other obligation that could still reasonably be met despite the event.
If your booking is affected by an event you believe is force majeure, contact our support team at support@bookgcctrip.com. If you believe the Force Majeure refund exception applies to your booking, our Cancellation & Refund Policy explains how to submit a request and what documentation to include.
| Version 1.0 | Initial publication | 6 August 2026 |
Contact our support team at support@bookgcctrip.com or +971 54 339 3555 (09:00–18:00 UAE time, English; Arabic support planned for a future phase). If you are not satisfied with our response, see our Complaint Handling Procedure.